Timber Circle

News

Seahenge Roadshow Set To Go On Tour

A new exhibition charting the incredible story of Norfolk's Seahenge is set to hit the road this summer.

Archaeologists are putting together a travelling exhibition, focussing on the Iron Age monument's discovery and its controversial removal from the beach at Holme, near Hunstanton.

Brian Ayers, Norfolk's archaeology and environment officer, said it would be launched in Holme in May or June.

"It will be a mobile display we can take to other locations in North West Norfolk," he added.

"It will be talking about the history of the excavation and what this has told us about the technology of that time."

The timber circle, which was uncovered by the tides in early 1999, was hailed as one of the most important archaeological discoveries for decades.

But there were angry protests over the decision to remove the 4000-year-old relic from the beach.

The 55 timber posts which made up the circle and its central tree stump are currently being conserved at Flag Fen, near Peterborough.

When the preservation process is complete, in two years' time, archaeologists hope it will be put on display somewhere along the stretch of coastline where it was found.

Axe marks gave new insights into the tools used during the period. Electronic scans showed 38 different axe heads were used to shape the timbers – at a time when metal technology had only just arrived on our shores.

The marks – believed to be the earliest tool marks found in Britain – show the society that inhabited the wild North West Norfolk coastline was far more advanced than was previously thought.